Palmer Ranch Parkway interchange plan resurfaces

More than 30 Palmer Ranch residents were upset to learn Tuesday that a proposed interchange at Interstate 75 and Central Sarasota Parkway is not off the drawing board after all — and it could jeopardize two new developments in their community.

This time, however, Palmer Ranch owner and developer Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has pledged to support them in fighting the proposal.

During the Palmer Ranch Communities Coalition meeting Tuesday, Palmer Ranch Holdings LLC representatives informed residents that plans for two new single-family home communities and a new town center would be scrapped if the Sarasota County Commission agreed to pursue construction of the interchange, at the recommendation of county staff.

The commission is scheduled to hear a presentation on the issue during its March 13 regular meeting. According to the Palmer Ranch meeting discussion Tuesday, county staff is expected to recommend interchanges at both Palmer Ranch Parkway and State Road 681, two miles farther south.

Palmer Ranch Holdings LLC Vice President Justin Powell opened the meeting by explaining that Palmer Ranch is under contract with Taylor Morrison for the developer to purchase approximately 100 acres off Palmer Ranch Parkway, behind The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch. The property is near The Glenridge’s border, on the east side of Honore Avenue.

Taylor Morrison has announced plans to build approximately 260 homes on the site, as well as a clubhouse with amenities for residents. The groundbreaking reportedly is 18 months away.

Another Palmer Ranch contract, with DiVosta Homes, a division of Pulte Homes, involves 350 single-family homes in the vicinity of the proposed Palmer Ranch Parkway interchange.

Powell explained that more than two years ago, when plans for the parkway interchange changed, shifting the proposed construction two miles south, to State Road 681, Palmer Ranch Holdings decided to pursue plans for housing developments at the previous interchange site.

“The bottom line is the interchange was moved and we went forward on a contract with DiVosta for a single-family, mixed-home development on 110 acres,” Powell said.

Palmer Ranch residents said they planned to attend the commission meeting, to voice their concerns. This time, they have an ally in Culverhouse with their fight.

Palmer Ranch Holdings did not publicly support the residents’ opposition to the interchange five years ago. At that time, Culverhouse wanted to build a 200,000-square-foot commercial project in the area.

But times have changed. Powell confirmed for the residents that Palmer Ranch Holdings doesn’t support the interchange proposal any longer, because it has the housing development contracts in hand.

“We will hope you all oppose this, because we object to the height of the interchange overpass and the noise it would generate for the Ranch,” Powell said. “We also don’t want to see Palmer Ranch Parkway converted to a four-lane road.”

Audience members’ groans greeted the news about the project’s endangerment.

Many of the residents attending were among those who began fighting the previous interchange proposal five years ago.

In May 2010, the County Commission finally agreed not to construct the interchange, and a contract with the Florida Department of Transportation for the project was voided in favor of plans for the interchange at State Road 681.

“We don’t want to relive this all over again, but we have to wait and see what’s going to happen,” said Palmer Ranch Communities Coalition President Margaret Brading. “We’ve worked hard to keep our communities looking and feeling a certain way, and we will continue to do that.”

Officials for both housing projects told the attendees that the new homes they planned would be built with price points from $250,000 to $340,000. They added that, with the housing market coming back, Palmer Ranch has been seeing a flurry of construction once again.

Adjacent to the housing developments, Palmer Ranch Holdings has plans for a low-key, 100,000-square-foot community center, which would include an anchor tenant, such as a Publix or a Whole Foods supermarket.

But if the County Commission agrees to reconsider an interchange at Palmer Ranch Parkway — the cost earlier was estimated at $90 million — plans for all that development would be endangered, Powell said. The community instead would see more commercial development, such as fast-food restaurants near the highway.

Palmer Ranch Communities Coalition Secretary Norman Klingerman said the group, which has grown to include 22 community organizations since it was founded in 2005, is needed now more than ever.

“We have an opportunity to defend an outside influence that affects our community negatively,” Klingerman said. “A coalition with a common front is our best foot forward.”

If You Go
The Sarasota County Commission is scheduled to hear a presentation March 13 on a proposal for two interchanges near Palmer Ranch that could jeopardize two proposed housing developments.

The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of the R.L. Anderson Center, 4000 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice.

The agenda is expected to be available March 9 on the Sarasota County website, www.scgov.net. Click on “Meetings & Agendas,” then on “Sarasota County Commission Meetings on Demand,” then on “Agenda” for the March 13 session.